And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate ,.... See Gill on Ezekiel 46:2 ; and he shall go forth by the way thereof ; the same way he came in, he shall go out; not so the people; and, to introduce the manner of their going in and out, this is repeated concerning the prince. read more
The supplementary directions contained in these verses relate to the worship of the prince and the people on the sabbaths and the new moons ( Ezekiel 46:1-7 ) and at the appointed feasts generally ( Ezekiel 46:5-15 ). read more
Distinction and equality in the kingdom of God. We have here a distinction drawn between one citizen and all the rest. The prince was to enter by the way of the porch of the east gate and stand by the post of the gate, "at the porch of the inner court," while the people were to stand at a distance, at the outer gate ( Ezekiel 46:2 , Ezekiel 46:3 ); yet on other occasions the prince and the people together were to enter in and to go forth together without regard to social distinction... read more
The optional and the obligatory in the kingdom of God. 1. Here are minute and positive prescriptions, requiring exact conformity and allowing no deviation. The burnt offering was to be six lambs and one ram—no more and no less ( Ezekiel 46:4 ). In the day of the new moon—at that particular time—the offering was to include a young bullock ( Ezekiel 46:6 ). They who entered in by the north gate were to go out by the south gate, and vice versa ( Ezekiel 46:9 ). These (and other)... read more
begins an ordinance relative to the mode of conducting worship at the appointed festivals ( Ezekiel 46:9 ; comp. Ezekiel 36:38 ; Ezekiel 45:17 ; Le Ezekiel 23:2 ; Hosea 12:9 ), by indicating first how the prince should enter and depart from the temple. According to Kliefoth and Keil, the prince's entrance and departure should be by the way of the porch of the outer, according to Hengstenberg, Smend, and Currey, of the inner, east gate (see on Ezekiel 46:2 ). read more
That gate - The eastern gate of the inner court. See Ezekiel 46:2. read more
Ezekiel 46:8-10 . He shall go in by the porch of that gate To go in at the eastern gate was the privilege of the prince and the priests only; the people were to enter in by the north or south gates, as is mentioned in the following verse. He that entereth in by the way of the north gate, shall go out by the way of the south, &c. These words imply the reason why the people were not to come in at the east gate, because, there being no passage or thoroughfare out of the temple westward,... read more
Offerings and festivals (45:13-46:15)All the people had a part in providing the offerings for national religious festivals. The offerings were collected by the king, who then offered them in sacrifice on behalf of his people (13-17). At the beginning and end of the first week of the new year, sacrifices were offered for the cleansing of the temple (18-20). The two main annual festivals to be celebrated at the temple were the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread at the beginning of the year... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 46:1-15
Whether the rules for public worship here laid down were designed to be observed, even in those things wherein they differed from the law of Moses, and were so observed under the second temple, is not certain; we find not in the history of that latter part of the Jewish church that they governed themselves in their worship by these ordinances, as one would think they should have done, but only by law of Moses, looking upon this then in the next age after as mystical, and not literal. We may... read more